Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Art and Literature in Siena, 1250-1600 [http://www.leeds.ac.uk/italian/research/sienalecturesvideo.htm] - Located in the hills of Tuscany, the city of Siena was a buzzing hive of cultural activity from the 13th to 16th century. At the heart of the city was the University of Siena, founded in 1203, and scholars and others flocked to hear lectures on law and medicine. Of course, the city also had its famed Duomo, which is one of the premier examples of Italian Romanesque architecture. Recently, the University of Leeds placed four lectures online that deal with the art and literature of Siena, and visitors will be delighted to listen to them as they see fit. They include "The City as a Work of Art: Making and Meaning in the Italian Renaissance", "Duccio and the Flowering of Sienese Art", "Theater in Renaissance Siena", and "Art, Power and Patronage in Renaissance Siena". >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Studies in the History of Ethics[http://www.historyofethics.org/] - Started in 2005, Studies in the History of Ethics is a peer-reviewed electronic journal and research portal focused on publishing articles and reviews which deal with the history of ethics. First-time visitors can use the homepage to look over more recent works, such as a symposium on the ethics of John Stuart Mill which includes pieces from scholars at the University of Utah and the National University of Singapore. Further down the page, users can also read up on the journal's calls for works to be included in future symposia. Moving on, visitors can click on the "Archives" section to read past pieces published online and they can also use an embedded search engine to look for specific works. The site is rounded out by an RSS feed and contact information for the journal's editors. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts [http://www.masshist.org/online/abolition.cfm] - The state of Massachusetts played a major role in the American antislavery movement, and for a number of decades, the epicenter of this movement was in Boston. The Massachusetts Historical Society created this website in order to highlight some of the visual materials from their collection that deal with this facet of American history. Visitors to the site can look over digital images of 840 items, which include paintings, sculptures, banners, and broadsides. Items featured within this archive include formal portraits of noted lawyer Wendell Phillips, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, and Senator Charles Sumner. Additionally, visitors can also view a ticket to the 1857 Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society speech and a diagram of a plan for resisting the fugitive slave law. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

University of Wollongong: Statistical Literacy[http://www.uow.edu.au/student/attributes/statlit/] - Statistics surround us in the form of polling reports, census data, and the other seemingly mundane details of life. This site created by the University of Wollongong offers up a series of modules designed to help users learn about the world of statistics. As their site suggests, the modules will help users become more knowledgeable about surveys and scientific experiments. Users will want to look at the short explanations concerning the purpose of these modules and statistics in general before getting started. Currently, the site offers three modules: "Producing Data"; "Describing, Clarifying and Presenting Data"; and, "Interpreting Data". In each module, visitors will be presented with detailed explanations of these different aspects of statistics in a language that is quite accessible. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Monday, February 2, 2009

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Auschwitz Through the Lens of the SS[ http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/ssalbum/] - In January 2007, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives received a very unique and important donation. The donation came in the form of a photo album inscribed "Auschwitz 21.6.1944". To be sure, it was an unusual item, as there are few wartime photographs of the Auschwitz concentration camp complex. Museum archivists determined that the album's owner was almost certainly SS-Obersturmfuhrer Karl Hocker. The album contains photographs of Hocker with other SS officers in the summer and fall of 1944 and taken together they provide scholars and others with a new understanding of their lives and activities in the camp. Recently, the Museum decided to digitize the album and place it online here for the public. On the site visitors can read a series of interpretive essays about the album, view a documentary about the album, and also look through the album in its entirety. Overall, it's an utterly fascinating and troubling document, and one that will be appreciated by a wide range of people interested in the Holocaust, cultural studies, and history in general. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Sacred Contexts [ http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/sacred/homepage.html] - Helping understand the shared traditions among the world's major religious traditions is a tall order for a website, but this lovely online gallery from the British Library does the job quite admirably. The site was designed to complement a recent exhibition at the Library, and visitors can start by viewing an interactive slideshow of those materials. Moving on, visitors will want to make their way through 78 various sacred texts, which include the Codex Sinaiticus, an Islamic marriage contract, and the Tyndale New Testament. The "Interactive" section of the site is delightful, and visitors can listen to different faith leaders and everyday citizens talk about their religious beliefs. The site is rounded out by a selection of videos that feature weddings in three faiths, an exploration of several sacred texts, and a scribe at work. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Visual Arts Data Service[http://www.vads.ac.uk/] - Online visual arts collections can be used to enhance an art history lecture, give students a refresher on various types of architecture, and for community history projects. The Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) offers up just those types of collections, and it's one that users will definitely want to bookmark for future reference. The VADS is based at the Farnham Campus of The University College for the Creative Arts and currently they have over 100,000 images available for use. First-time users may wish to get their feet wet by clicking on the "Search" tab on the left-hand side of the homepage. From this page, they can take a look at the "Image of the Day", browse through popular searches, and also browse the materials offered by theme. Clicking on the "Collections" section gives visitors a sense of the broad coverage offered on the site, as they will find links to digital archives of Romanesque sculpture, war posters, a massive photo archive of East London, and a diverse set of textile collections. Finally, the site also has a list of case studies and a guide to good practice for those who might be working on digital projects in art education. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Physics Education Technology[ http://phet-web.colorado.edu/new/index.php] - Funded by grants from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the National Science Foundation, the Physics Education Technology (PhET) site features many well-designed and engaging physics and chemistry simulations for use in the classroom. Currently, the site offers fifteen simulations, which cover projectile motion, salts & solubility, wave interference, and other related areas. Visitors can run the simulations from their computer, or they can also elect to download them individually. The simulations are all interactive, full of color, and very engaging. Of course, they have also provided a "Teachers Ideas & Activities" area. Here visitor can browse through activities created by educators across the country which are based on these simulations. Visitor can look over the activities by type or grade level, and they can also submit their own activities for inclusion. The site is rounded out by a list of FAQ's and a troubleshooting section. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Radiology Education[http://www.radiologyeducation.com/] - Created and maintained by Dr. Michael P. D'Alessandro, this site provides visitors with a host of links related to radiology education. The site is organized quite simply, as it consists of several hundred links vetted by Dr. Alessandro, all of which are related to radiology. At the top of the homepage, visitors will find the links organized into categories which include radiology textbooks, radiology teaching files, continuing education, and podcasts. The links are also organized for use by different groups of professionals, including medical students, residents, and patients. The anatomy and embryology atlases area is quite strong, as is the one dedicated to radiology textbooks. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/